


The Exhausted Crow

by Ms_Mars



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Captain Ennoshita Chikara, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fainting, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, One Year Later, Platonic Relationships, Sickfic, Swearing, Team as Family, Vice-Captain Tanaka Ryuunosuke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:34:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23788648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ms_Mars/pseuds/Ms_Mars
Summary: If Ennoshita hadn’t known Sugawara beforehand, he would have wondered if the younger team members had caused his senpai’s hair color. Perhaps, he should send a text and ask for some advice on leadership and haircare from the college student. Ennoshita had been captain for just short of two months now, and honestly, he wouldn’t have been surprised to spot gray strands as he glanced in the mirror that morning.---Ennoshita is still adjusting to his new role as the captain of the excitable Karasuno Volleyball Team. His health takes a hit when he overworks himself.
Relationships: Ennoshita Chikara & Everyone, Ennoshita Chikara & Nishinoya Yuu, Ennoshita Chikara & Tanaka Ryuunosuke, Sugawara Koushi & Tanaka Ryuunosuke
Comments: 24
Kudos: 147





	1. This is Fine.

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my little story! I haven't written anything in literal YEARS, and I have been working myself up to posting for a while.
> 
> Rated T for language and teenage drama. I'm still figuring out how tags work, so they are subject to change as the story continues.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

If Ennoshita hadn’t known Sugawara beforehand, he would have wondered if the younger team members had caused his senpai’s hair color. Perhaps, he should send a text and ask for some advice on leadership and haircare from the college student. Ennoshita had been captain for just short of two months now, and honestly, he wouldn’t have been surprised to spot gray strands as he glanced in the mirror that morning.

After the success of their previous year, the team saw a spike in first year signups. Luckily, most of them were calmer than the current second and third years. Unluckily, some of their grades made Kageyama’s look good. Between late night study sessions with the first years and early morning practices with the dynamic duo, sleep was a precious commodity these days.

He glanced at his phone and cursed quietly. No time for breakfast. He was already late for morning practice after hitting snooze twice. Thankfully, it was his vice captain’s turn to unlock the doors. Showing up late to find Hinata scrambling up on Kageyama’s shoulders, trying to climb in the gym windows once was once too many. How did those two have THAT much energy in the mornings?

Ennoshita grabbed a banana and tossed it on top of the books in his bag as he hustled out the door. Maybe, he would have a chance to eat it between practice and classes.

The walk to school felt unseasonably warm, and he paused outside the coach's shop to remove his team jacket and tie it onto his bag strap. Standing up to continue his journey, the world spun for a moment. Don’t get up too fast when you haven’t eaten yet, noted. He wiped the sweat from his brow and set off at a brisk pace to avoid being even later.

-

“You look like shit, captain!”

“Good morning to you too, Noya. Did you finish your pre-calc homework?” Ennoshita set his bag up on his designated shelf in the club room and dug through the side pocket. He could have sworn he had a few aspirin for emergencies. 

“More or less.” came the grumbled reply.

“Uh huh.” He found a single capsule and popped it in his mouth. Grabbing his water bottle to down it.

“But seriously, you have more luggage under your eyes than the team took to nationals. You good?”

Ennoshita took a deep breath, plastered on his captain's smile, and turned to answer. “I just had a late night with the study crew. Nothing to worry about!”

“... if you say so.” Nishinoya’s eyes narrowed as he looked him over. Ennoshita could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up at the analyzing look and tried to shrug it off.

“I’m fine. It’s Friday, after all. I’ll take it easy today. Promise I will rest this weekend, okay? Let’s hurry before the first year receivers come to hunt you down, noya-senpai~” He purposefully made his voice crack on the senpai.

Nishinoya blushed in response and punched Ennoshita’s arm on his way out the door.

-

“Enno~ Ennooooooo~” Something poked his shoulder sharply.

Ennoshita’s eyes fluttered open to sunlight streaming across his desk. He groaned lightly and lifted his face to look up at Kinoshita who had perched on the desk in front of his, twirling a ruler in his hand.

“You’re lucky that you are sensei’s favorite. Pretty sure falling asleep in her class would be a death sentence for the rest of us.” The ruler was stabbed into his shoulder once more.

“Hisashi, I hate you.”

“No, you love me, especially because I took extra notes for you.” A couple of pages filled with frantic blue-penned notes were slid onto his desk.

“Thanks. I might just keep you around.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re welcome, sleepyhead. You want to eat inside or get some fresh air?”

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, “Is never moving from this chair an option?”

Kinoshita shifted forward to brush his friend’s bangs aside and place the back of his hand against his forehead. “Hmmm… You seem kinda warm. Maybe you should go to the nurse, Chika-chan~”

Ennoshita slapped his hand away.

“Nah, I’m fine. It’s just a few more hours. I can make it through the afternoon.” He smiled reassuringly before shifting to grab his bento from his bag. He cursed upon realizing he had left it on the kitchen table that morning. “Shit!”

Kinoshita gasped too loudly, “My, my, foul language, captain! What would the first years think?”

“Shut up!”

“Want to split my lunch?”

Ennoshita flopped dramatically across his desk. “I’m not stealing your food, ‘sashi. Honestly, I’m not even that hungry right now.”

Something hit his shoulder again.

“I will break that damn ruler.” He moaned as he raised his head. A bottle was pushed into his line of vision.

“It’s my protein drink for afternoon practice. You like the melon flavored one, right? You need the vitamins. I’ll grab juice from the vending machine later.” Ennoshita opened his mouth to protest. “No arguments allowed, Chika.”

“... thanks.”

-

Ennoshita wasn’t sure what upset him more: that it was obvious that Narita and Tanaka had been going easy on their spikes and aiming them at other receivers during practice, or that he could barely keep up in spite of that fact. The movement of his muscles was delayed; almost as if it took him three seconds from thinking about moving his leg to the leg actually shifting. Even tournament days never felt as long as this one Friday had felt.

Regardless, he had made it through classes and practice. He let out a huge sigh of relief as he locked up the gym and dragged his aching feet up the stairs to the club room. Were the steps always this tall?

Tanaka and Nishinoya had been the first to sprint out of the gym earlier. Something about Nishinoya promising ice pops to the first years, and then, Tanaka promised all the first and second years meat buns. Honestly, ‘The Great Competition to Gain the Honor to be Called The Ultimate Senpai’ (aptly named by the two of them) that they have thrown themselves into was adorable.

All the third years and even the second years were turning into great mentors. Yamaguchi really made a connection with the most shy of the first years. Even Tsukkishima had been kinder towards the new members of the flock that would mob him during break time with questions on blocking. Ennoshita felt a great swell of pride for his team. He looked forward to their first official match. Maybe Daichi, Asahi, and Suga would come cheer them on too!

He turned from shoving his workout shirt into his bag to glance at the photo on the wall. Tanaka’s sister had snapped the image of the team as they prepped for nationals. The excitement leapt from the print. Yachi had printed the photo with a large orange border with little cartoon crows in the corners and forced everyone to sign it before she hung it proudly beside the window on the club room wall.

Ennoshita could feel tears welling up. He was so glad he had come back to the team. If he had stayed away, he would never have been a part of all this. He would have never gone to nationals. He would never have seen everyone grow as they had. His name wouldn’t be scrawled next to the silly little cartoon crow in the bottom corner of the team photo.

He scrubbed at his face frantically to get rid of the tear tracks. Ennoshita was thankful everyone had left at the promise of food and missed his little breakdown. What an embarrassingly emotional captain he was becoming?

His vision was blurry from crying, but it became worse as he began to choke on his tears. The room tilted harshly, and he tried to steady himself by planting a hand on the wall.

His knees gave out beneath him, and he fell with a thud. Maybe he should have gone to the nurse after all.

Everything faded to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time: The crows find their captain.


	2. Rude Awakening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh, I haven't written anything in so long. I completely forgot how wonderful it feels to have people leave kudos and comments on your work! Thank you, thank you! I literally sobbed in joy. Seriously, I appreciate it so much!!! <3 <3 <3
> 
> I hope you enjoy the second chapter!

By the time Tanaka had finally flopped onto his bed, he was too tired to even crawl under the covers. It was like the flip of a lightswitch. On one second; off the next.

His last waking thought was how very thankful he was that coach had given him a deal on those meat buns. Trying to outdo Noya’s generosity was going to cause some serious damage to his wallet at this rate. He really needed to brainstorm other ways to prove his superior senpai-ness.

A frantic buzzing and bright light distrubed his rest what felt like seconds later, and he pulled his face out of the pillow to glare at his phone and clock on the bedside table. Who the hell was called him at 2 AM on a Saturday?!

He yanked the phone closer and groaned as the light blinded him. His eyes couldn’t adjust fast enough to read the screen, and he poked it several times before successfully answering.

“Whatssup?” He muttered as if it was one word.

A mellow feminine voice responded, “Ryuunosuke-kun? I’m sorry to bother you so late, but is Chikara staying the night with you by chance?”

“Hello, Ennoshita-san. No, sorry, Chika’s not here.” Tanaka sat up with a yawn. He reached his free arm up to stretch and heard his spine pop. The room definitely felt colder than earlier, and he figured it was probably worth it to crawl under the blankets properly now rather than wake up shivering a few hours later.

As he moved to rearrange himself, he froze at the sharp intake of breath through the phone, “Do… Do you know if he might be with any of your other teammates?”

His sleepy mind shifted through the memories of afternoon practice. Tanaka had picked up on his fellow third years' anxious glances towards the captain early on. Chikara seemed a little off, dragging his feet and downing water bottles like he had been trapped in a desert all day. Narita had purposefully shuffled towards Tanaka during stretches, and they had quietly agreed to take it easy on Chikara. He just guessed that with practices ramping up and exams approaching… and it’s Friday, right? Everyone was tired from the long week…

He took a deep breath and tried to calm his suddenly increasing heart rate, “I didn’t overhear any plans during practice. Is everything okay, Ennoshita-san?”

Her voice rushed through the speaker, “I just woke up to get a glass of water, and I checked his room. Chikara isn’t home. I don’t think... I don’t think he came home from school today.”

Instantly, Tanaka was very much awake. Shit!

He bolted from his bed and frantically searched for something other than pajama pants to pull on. He took another long breath to try and quell his rising panic. Panic was not helpful. “Don’t worry, Ennoshita-san. You stay there, and call me if he shows up. I’ll text the team. We’ll find him.”

He could hear soft sniffling, “Thank you, Ryuu-kun.”

-

Tanaka had to remind himself every couple of minutes to stop and breathe properly. He rolled his shoulders and forced them to relax. Hyperventilating would not aid this situation. He needed to keep a clear head. Chikara needed him to keep a clear head.

As soon as he had hung up the call, he sent a message out to all the second and third years to inform them of the situation and ask if anyone had a clue as to where their captain had vanished off to. He didn’t see a reason to freak out the first years quite yet, and they had only known Chikara for a few weeks. The chance they could help seemed low at this point.

The responses came flooding in; no one had seen him since practice.

The group deemed that anyone going out to search had to do so in pairs as a safety precaution. The second years would be on stand-by for now. Kinoshita and Narita were going to meet up in town and head towards the Ennoshita household. Tanaka and Noya would head towards the school.

His first step (after acquiring pants) had been to wake Saeko and beg her to drive him to Noya’s place. Luckily, she had been home, sober, and immediately ready to assist.

It wasn’t until he was in the speeding car that he thought to message Takeda and Ukai. He forwarded the earlier text to both of them as they pulled into Nishinoya’s driveway. The shorter boy sped across the walkway, yanked open the car door, and leapt into the backseat.

He clipped on his seatbelt and gripped tightly into the edge of the seat in front of him as Saeko pulled back onto the road. “Ryuu, any updates?”

“Not yet.” He clutched his phone against his chest and reminded himself to breathe once again.

Tense silence filled the vehicle as the three slowly rolled through town and towards Karasuno. Ryuu's eyes frantically examined the passing sidewalks, shops, and alleyways, desperate for any indication of his friend’s presence. His hands shook as the minutes ticked on.

A soft curse broke the quiet, “Fuck!”

Ryuu jolted at the sudden noise, and his phone slipped from his hand, sliding across the car floor, “Yuu?”

“I knew something was wrong. I shouldn’t have let him brush me off this morning! Damn it!”

Tanaka’s heart hurt at the crack in Noya’s voice.

He forced down the guilty heat raising in his own chest to form a proper response, “It’s not your fault, Yuu. We all felt something was off, but… we WILL find him. Chikara is going to be FINE. We’re all going to be fine.” He tried to say it with confidence; it only half worked.

The school entrance loomed up ahead. The moment the car slowed enough, two doors burst open, and the boys tumbled out.

“I’m gonna circle the campus, and see if I spot him. Call if you need me.” Saeko blurted out as they slammed the doors closed and sprinted off towards the buildings.

“Yuu, check the gyms. I’ll get the club room.”

He saw Noya nod before sprinting off in the other direction.

Tanaka took the stairs two at a time and dashed across the balcony, nearly running into the railing twice in his haste. He sped up as he saw a warm light leaking through the frosted windows. He ripped open the door and felt his heart jump into his throat.

A familiar form was crumpled beneath the window facing away from him.

He stumbled over and dropped to his knees beside his friend.

“Chikara? Chikara?!” Tanaka reached out the jostle his shoulder, and then shook harder when he received no response.

A whimper broke the air. Relief flooded his veins.

He shifted closer to gently cup the too still face and could feel heat radiating off his skin. He tapped his cheek twice and waited for consciousness to return.

Tanaka waited several seconds before his patience failed. At the moment, he wanted nothing more than to curl back up in bed and sleep for a week. In order to do so, he needed to know his entire team was home safe. Before that could happen, it was vital his captain awaken, and damn it, he didn’t have the energy to brainstorm any better ideas.

“Sorry, Chika.” He slapped Chikara across the face.

His actions were rewarded with a loud groan and cloudy eyes fluttering open.

“Chikara, you with me?”

Chikara glanced around the room unhurriedly before focusing upwards, “Ryuu, what the hell is going on?”

Tanaka puffed up, “Well, there’s an entire murder of crows freaking out because a certain captain crow apparently doesn’t know when to admit he is sick and take a fucking break!”

Chikara blinked slowly before his face twisted in confusion, “... what?”

Tanaka instantly deflated, “Sorry. Don’t worry about it. How do you feel? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Kinda feel like I ran straight into an iron wall, and the lights are burning through my eyes and setting my skull on fire. Besides that, I’m dandy.”

“If your sarcasm is still intact, you’ll be fine. Think you can sit up?”

Tanaka helped pull his friend to sit against the wall before heading over to the shelf to throw the rest of Chikara’s things into his gym bag and grab his jacket.

“Here. Let’s get you home, huh?” He offered his friend a hand up and assisted in putting his jacket on.

As he turned to grab the gym bag, Chikara started to sway, and the door slammed against the wall.

“I couldn’t find… WHOA!” Noya rushed in to stabilize his captain as he pitched forward dangerously, “Jeez, be careful, Chika! Captains aren’t supposed to faceplant in front of their team members. Something about not losing face. Ha. You good?”

“Thanks. I’m good.” He attempted to force on his captain's smile and stand tall.

Noya studied his face for only a second, “Nope, not buying it. Ryuu and I are gonna support you down the stairs, and if you try to argue, we will just flat out carry you.”

Chikara spluttered and blushed in response as Noya slid against his left side and slung an arm around his waist. Tanaka let out a small chuckle as he secured his right side and led the group towards the door.

They gingerly made their way out of the club room, across the balcony, and down the stairs. Pausing to sit on the lower steps as Noya called Saeko to drive around and pick them up. Tanaka let Noya handle updating the group chat and calling Ennoshita’s mother as he sat beside Chikara with a protective arm wrapped tight around his shoulders.

-

As the car pulled into the driveway, Tanaka waved to the other third years that dashed from the house. He stepped out to greet a frantic Narita.

“Thank goodness you found him! How is he?”

His answer was cut off as Kinoshita opened the rear car door and cooed at the sight that greeted him. Chikara had curled up and was snoring with his head in Noya’s lap as the other boy smiled down at him and ran his fingers lightly through his hair.

“Hisashi, don’t.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You thought it though.” Narita chided.

He rolled his eyes playfully, “All I was thinking was that we are certainly blessed to have such a vigilant guardian deity protecting our team.”

Noya’s face reddened at the statement, but he didn’t stop his ministrations.

Kinoshita turned and landed a weak punch to Tanaka’s shoulder, “We have a pretty great vice captain as well. Thanks for hunting down our stubborn captain. Now, let’s get him inside and all tucked in and cozy.” He reached into the car and made grabby hands towards the sleeping crow.

Noya snorted at the display and shifted to wake Chikara. He awoke reluctantly and allowed Kinoshita and Narita to pull him from the car and support him as he dragged himself up the walkway. Noya trailed behind to ensure no one tripped.

Tanaka watched on fondly before turning back to grab his friend’s gym bag, “Saeko, I think Yuu and I are gonna want to spend the night here. I don’t really feel like letting him out of my sight just yet, you know? Thanks for helping out.”

“I’ve always got your back, little brother. Speaking of…” She lifted her hand to dangle a smartphone from her manicured nails. “You left this in the car earlier. I plugged it in to charge for you. It was beeping like crazy, so you might have to deal with some distraught crows before you pass out.”

“Oh great!” The phone was dropped into his outstretched hand.

“Call me when you need a ride. Night, Ryuu!”

As she drove off, Tanaka slapped his face to try and stir up another dose of energy. This felt like the longest night in history, and it wasn’t even over yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I was writing the scene where Tanaka finds Ennoshita. I was building up the tension, and I had the thought of... what if he just slapped him right now?
> 
> I burst out laughing, and then realized 2 important things:
> 
> 1.) I am writing this story and can totally make this happen.  
> 2.) Tanaka, being the wonderful well-meaning idiot he is, stressed out and tired as hell, would totally do this.
> 
> Please don't slap your unconscious friends.
> 
> -
> 
> Next Time: These boys get some seriously needed rest.


	3. A Spoonful of Sugar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for looking at my story!!! Onward to Chapter 3!
> 
> Note: I've been reading a lot of chat fics recently, so I added a small chat section in this chapter. I think it's amusing but can easily be skipped if that isn't your cup of tea. I tried to pick usernames with easy references, but here's the list just in case:
> 
> Rolling Thunder- Nishinoya  
> ThatsAllHeFloat- Yamaguchi  
> Stingyshima- Tsukishima  
> Sunshine- Hinata  
> Setter Soul- Kageyama
> 
> -
> 
> Please enjoy!

Tanaka followed the sound of his friends’ voices up the stairs and towards Chikara’s bedroom. As he peeked in the door, Kinoshita rushed forward, “Thermometer is in the first aid kit, right? I got it!” He jumped out of the way of his hectic friend before entering the room.

Ennoshita’s mother was fussing over her son as she tucked him into bed while Noya and Narita watched awkwardly from the side. Neither seemed to want to leave but also didn’t know how to be helpful. Tanaka joined their vigil as Kinoshita bolted back through the door.

They all held their breath until the thermometer beeped.

His mother announced the results, “38.8 degrees. You have a fever, but it’s not dangerously high. I won’t force you to go to the hospital unless it spikes. We’ll just have to keep a close eye on it for now.”

Everyone released a sigh.

“However, I’m worried about why you fainted like that…” She muttered.

“Enno didn’t eat lunch today.” Kinoshita proclaimed.

“Hisashi!” Chikara whined.

“I don’t think he ate during practice either!”

His mother turned on him, “Did you have breakfast this morning?”

Chikara was the picture of guilt as he sheepishly replied, “I was running late.”

Noya snorted and crossed his arms, “You’re supposed to be the responsible one in this group, Chika!”

“I didn’t know it would cause this.” He bowed his head, “I’m sorry for causing trouble. You all can go home now.”

Tanaka huffed, “Like hell we’re going anywhere! Sorry for the language, Ennoshita-san.” 

Ever polite Narita stepped in, “Ma’am, would it be alright if we stayed the night?”

“Of course, you all are welcome anytime. The guest futons are in the downstairs closet as you know, dear. You can set them up in the family room.”

Narita nodded and smiled, “Thank you, Ennoshita-san. We shall get out of your hair, and let you take care of him. Don’t worry about breakfast, we will prepare it for everyone.”

“You don’t need to do that.”

“It will be our pleasure. Come on guys.” Narita herded them out of the room and downstairs.

-

**Karasuno Senpai Squad**

2:49 Rolling Thunder: found him

2:50 Yachi-chan: Oh thank goodness! I’m so relieved.

2:53 ThatsAllHeFloat: Is he okay?

3:05 ThatsAllHeFloat: NOYA!

3:08 ThatsAllHeFloat: NISHINOYA ANSWER PLEASE

3:09 Stingyshima: Calm down, Yamaguchi. I’m sure the third years have it handled.

3:11 Sunshine: noya senpai has never not answered the group chat before

3:12 Yachi-chan: Wait, is Ennoshita not okay?

3:12 Yachi-chan: OMG was he attacked on his way home or something?!

3:13 Yachi-chan: Did they find him only to be killed by the murderer themselves?!

3:13 Yachi-chan: ARE NOYA AND ENNO BOTH DEAD?!?!?!

3:14 Setter Soul: We need a captain to go to the tournament.

3:16 ThatsAllHeFloat: IS THAT SERIOUSLY YOUR CONCERN RIGHT NOW

3:17 Stingyshima: Wow, King.

3:19: Setter Soul: Of course I care if something happens to them. I was just pointing out another problem.

3:20 Sunshine: T_T WHYYYYYYYYYY

3:22 ThatsAllHeFloat: IM GONNA GO FIND THEM

3:23 Stingyshima: Stop freaking out, you idiots!

3:24 Stingyshima: Yamaguchi, don’t go out there. I do not want to have to come find your corpse at hell o’clock in the morning.

3:25 Yachi-chan: YAMAGUCHI DONT GO!!!! THE MURDERER WILL GET YOU TOO!!!!

3:27 Setter Soul: We cannot afford to lose anyone else.

3:28 Sunshine: WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

-

Tanaka stared at his phone in horror as he sat on the futon he had just finished rolling out. He began typing a response when he was interrupted with the alert for an incoming call.

As he got up to exit the room, he turned to the futon beside his and growled, “Yuu, answer the goddamn group chat!”

He watched Noya open his phone and grow considerably paler before typing hurriedly. Satisfied that Noya would handle that mess, he sped out of the room to answer the call.

“Hello?”

“Kid, what do you mean by casually texting me that one of your teammates is missing and then not answering any of my texts or calls?”

Tanaka felt his palms grow sweaty, “Coach…”

“You are gonna be practicing receives on Monday until your arms fall off. Explain NOW!”

-

Tanaka had hoped to drift off the second he finally lay down on the futon and was severely disappointed to find himself only able to catch a few minutes of rest while tossing and turning over the next several hours. When the sun peeked through the window and landed directly on his face, he officially gave up and reluctantly dragged himself off the floor.

Glancing around the room revealed Narita and Kinoshita curled up beside one another while Noya had somehow twisted around in his sleep, escaped his futon, and lay splayed across the other two. Despite the uncomfortable position, he was snoring loudly with a line of drool leaking down his chin. Tanaka had to muffle his laughter as he grabbed his phone and crept out the door to sit on the back porch.

He thumbed through his contacts for a few minutes before giving into his desire for comfort and pressing the call button.

Sugawara answered cheerfully not five seconds later, “Morning! I’m honestly surprised that you’re awake to call your dearly departed senpai. I hear you had some excitement last night. Everything settled now?”

Tanaka took a moment to soak in the warmth of his voice before responding with as much gusto as he could scrounge up when sleep-deprived, “Firstly, I am well aware that you are still alive despite abandoning us for higher education, Mom!”

“Well, then you should learn to text me back, Son!”

“Secondly, how did you hear that?”

Suga clicked his tongue loudly, “Let’s just say a little birdie told me. So spill.”

Tanaka felt a weight fall from his shoulders as the words rushed out, “Ennoshita seems to have come down with something. He tried to push through it and ignore the fact that he was basically dead on his feet. Wound up collapsing in the club room after practice. Since he was the last one closing up, we didn’t know anything was wrong until his mom called me super early this morning. The team was seriously freaked out. Noya and I found him. He is a little worse for wear, got a fever, but safe at home for now. Kinoshita, Narita, and Nishinoya are all still knocked out in the family room. It’s only a matter of time until Noya pops up though. You know how he is.” He chuckled awkwardly at the end of his speal.

A calm voice answered, “I also know how you are.”

He sighed deeply, “I had some trouble sleeping. Never managed to zone out for more than ten minutes at a time. I really wish my brain would turn off and let me though.”

Suga giggled, “If you called so that I could sing you back to sleep, I will happily do so, but please remember that my karaoke skills are subpar.”

Tanaka remembered karaoke night well. “For the sake of everyone within a 2-kilometer radius of you, please don’t.”

“Hardy Har.”

A pleasant silence sat between them, filled with heartfelt memories, early morning practices, shared meals, and quiet insights.

Suga broke the lull softly, “Hey, Tanaka. It’s not your fault.”

“Agree to disagree?”

“No really, it’s not your fault.” Suga took a deep breath and steeled his nerves, “Listen. Ennoshita is not Daichi.”

Tanaka groaned, “I know that.”

“And you are not me.”

He groaned louder, “I definitely know that!”

“And that’s good.”

“I… wait, what?”

Suga cleared his throat, “Your team now is not the same as our team a few months ago. Daichi and I were lucky; we’d been super close since first year. We had time to figure each other out, learn how to work together, and how to fill in for the other’s weaknesses. I’m not saying you and Enno aren’t close, but with the various dramas over the past couple years and having other best friends, you just haven’t spent as much time one-on-one, you know?

You two need to work to bring out the best in each other and to bring the best out from your team. Your teammates will need different things from you than you needed from me, and that’s how it’s supposed to work. Not all captains are the same. Not all vice captains are the same. You have to figure out what the title means for you personally.”

Tanaka was so busy mulling over his thoughts that he hadn’t realized how long the silence dragged on until Suga broke it once again.

“Oh, and Tanaka Ryuunosuke, you are a great senpai, an excellent vice captain, a spectacular ace, and your team is lucky to have you! I know you can do this.” 

He could feel his eyes stinging and wiped at them furiously, “Suga…”

Suga’s tone turned sharp, “And one more thing. You are required from here on out to send me a text at least once a week with reassurance that all my kouhai, including you, are safe. Fail to do so, and I will hop on the next train to Miyagi, march into the gym in the middle of practice, and dropkick your sorry ass in front of the entire squad. Am I understood?”

He felt shivers run up his spine, “Suga, you are terrifying.”

The cheerful tone returned, “I know, but I only use my powers out of love. Now, when I drag Asahi and Daichi with me to cheer Karasuno on at the upcoming tournament, I expect to see all of you little crows happy, thriving, and absolutely crushing your opponents. I will accept nothing less.”

“Understood.”

“Tanaka, go take care of your team and yourself, and take a freaking nap!”

“Yes, sir!” He saluted automatically before realizing no one could see.

“Good!”

“Suga?”

“Yeah?”

“I miss you.”

“I miss you too, idiot.” He replied fondly.

After Tanaka hung up and slipped back into the house to hunt down ingredients for miso soup, something he figured all parties involved in breakfast would appreciate, he paused to take a photo of his teammates' ridiculous sleeping poses and sent the image to Suga who responded with a plethora of heart emojis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~A spoonful of Suga helps the medicine go down~ Sugawara is a babe. I just adore him!  
> The real question is... which little birdie told Suga what was going on?
> 
> -
> 
> Next Time: The team has their captain's back. And I make Ennoshita the lead in the story again.
> 
> (I can't believe I accidentally benched him in a story where he drives the whole plot, but in my defense, he was unconscious for a while there, and an unconscious character doesn't make for the best POV)


	4. Charting Out the Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter! Thank you for all the support on my first story after a very long hiatus. Enjoy~
> 
> .

Ennoshita had never been more grateful to walk up the hill to school alone on a Monday morning. The first weekend his friends had spent hovering over him was embarrassing enough, but at least he had been mostly out of it. The entire rest of the week while he had been gaining strength, his mother had been nervous to let him leave her field of vision for more than a moment. He couldn’t blame any of them after the drama he caused. He was glad to know how much they cared too, but it had still been frustrating to not be trusted anywhere by himself.

Finally, he was able to get out of his room and breathe the fresh air in solitude.

At the end of his journey, he knew he would have to face the rest of his team and start to catch-up on his no doubt hefty pile of school assignments. For now though, Ennoshita was happy to slowly tread his way to school with the sunrise warming his back and the gentle breeze brushing his hair askew.

He took his time changing in the club room and tried to piece together the flashes of memories from the night he passed out. He only remembered a little, just enough to know he owed Tanaka and Nishinoya meat buns for the next few months.

Ennoshita paused outside of the gym doors and took a deep breath as he listened to the squeaks of tennis shoes and volleyballs hitting the floor from the practice already well-underway. It had been the coach’s order to come late and take it easy the first couple of days.

Maybe he should have skipped morning practice entirely; he would simply distract the others at this point.

Oh well, a captain has to stand tall and face his team regardless. Time to own up.

Ennoshita straightened his spine, slid open the door, and marched inside.

All the players turned upon hearing his entrance and froze. His teammates stared as if he was a ghost until he moved to raise his hand and gave a small wave, “Hey.”

Suddenly, there was a flurry of movement and cheers, and Ennoshita stumbled to catch his balance as he found himself tackled by their resident sunshine and a pair of eager first years.

“Careful dumbasses! We just got our captain back. Don’t break him!” Kageyama bellowed as he yanked Hinata away by his shirt collar.

The rest of the team flocked around the group shouting various greetings with enthusiasm.

He rotated slowly to nod in response to each hello and smile in reassurance.

When his eyes met Kinoshita, the boy saluted him with watery eyes, “ “Oh Captain, My Captain” until Narita smacked his arm down.

“Stop being dramatic, Hisashi!”

Chuckles surged through the group. It felt so good to laugh with his friends again. 

Ennoshita grinned before clapping his hands loudly to gain attention, “Alright boys, back to your drills. Since I will be doing stretches exclusively today, that means I have plenty of energy to yell at anyone I spy slacking off. Now, move it!”

-

He was entering the gym for afternoon practice when Yachi approached him, notebook in hand. “Ennoshita-san, I have something to discuss with you if you have the time.”

“Uh… sure. We can take a seat by the stage.”

Upon sitting, she began to ramble frantically, “So, this is what we were able to put together during the one meeting last week, and as captain, you can override any of the choices made, and we tried to make the list as thorough as we could, but naturally, that was not possible without your input…”

“Yacchan, calm down.” He waited for her shoulders to relax. “Okay, you are going to have to explain from the beginning because I think I’m missing something here.”

“Oh right. Sorry! Why don’t you just take a look and tell me your thoughts?” She thrust the notebook at his chest.

**Karasuno Team Duties** was printed neatly across the top with a chart below.

“Afternoon stretch leader M,W,F - Nishinoya, Afternoon stretch leader T, Th - Hinata, Serve Drills - Kageyama and Yamaguchi, Blocking Drills- Narita and Tsukishima” He skipped several lines and scanned towards the bottom of the page, “Bus Trip HeadCount- Tanaka, Third Year Study Crew - Kinoshita, Second Year Study Crew - Yachi, First Year Study Crew - Tsukishima”

He looked up from the page to meet her sparkling grin, “I’m sorry, Yacchan. I’m still a bit confused. What is going on exactly?”

“Well, during practice last week, Tanaka had us brainstorm a list of the jobs you usually do or assist with as team captain. Looking at all this stuff, in addition to your college prep, it’s no wonder you got sick. Each second and third year chose at least one thing they could be in charge of. This way we can delegate the workload, and you won’t have to be responsible for everything all the time. Isn’t that great?” She practically vibrated with excitement.

He returned her grin stiffly and forced himself to sound cheerful, “That’s so great, Yacchan! I’ll definitely want to look through it closer. Maybe during cleanup. Does that sound alright?”

“Of course. I’m just happy to be able to help!” She chirped merrily.

The edges of his smile softened. “You’re always helpful. You’re a great manager, Yacchan!” He patted her shoulder as he went to join the group stretches.

-

Ennoshita could feel the eyes intently watching him through all the stretches and as he stood on the sidelines commenting on technique of the others during basic drill sets. When they broke off for individual training, it was only a minute before Tanaka gripped onto his elbow, led him out the door, around the end of the building, and pushed him down onto the club room steps.

“That fakeass smile looks so wrong on you. What’s up, Chika?”

He slumped sideways against the railing, “Ryuu, do you think I’m weak?”

“Of course not!”

He curled further into himself and glared at his shoes, “Then, why did you have the team make that chart? If I work out a better schedule, I’m sure I can handle everything properly. You don’t have to worry about me. You guys chose me as captain. I can do this… I know I can do this.”

“Chikara, please look at me.”

Ennoshita released a shaky breath and forced his eyes upward.

“You are NOT weak! None of us think you’re weak, and all of us are proud to call you our captain!” Tanaka declared before sitting beside his friend and turning to maintain eye contact.

“You care so much about all of our team members, on and off the court. You help everyone study, not only because you want them eligible for volleyball, but because you care about their futures. You keep Hinata and Kageyama from overtraining and hurting themselves. You wrap up Tsukishima’s fingers whenever he jams or injures them. You comforted Nishinoya when that tall girl turned him down last month. You make sure Narita is sleeping enough. You encourage Yamaguchi and Kinoshita when their anxieties flare up. You do so much for me; I don’t even know where to begin.

You worry about all of us, so don’t ask us not to worry about you. We made that chart because seeing you hurt… it scared us. You are so strong, Chika, but you don’t have to keep this team together on your own. You don’t have to work yourself so hard that you...”

But I ran away.

He realized the words had snuck out from the dark corner of his mind and spilled from his lips when Tanaka was broken from his lecture. His friend looked appalled. 

“That was in first year, Chikara! There is NOTHING you have to make up for anymore!” Two strong hands grasped onto his upper arms, “I think it takes a lot of guts to turn around and face something you ran away from. You’re brave BECAUSE of your experiences. You are an awesome captain!”

Tanaka tone softened, “And I’m your awesome vice captain. Together, our job is to help lift each other up and to push our team to be the greatest they can be. I have faith in us. So, let me… let us help you... please?”

Ennoshita pulled back. He covered his face with his hands and attempted to keep his composure. A moment later, he flopped backwards against the steps, “I hate when you sound smarter than me.”

“Hey!”

“I couldn’t ask for a better vice captain. Thanks Ryuu… for everything.”

Peace settled between them until Ennoshita leaned forward and whispered, “About the chart…”

“What now?”

“I saw Tsukishima’s name beside the first year study crew. Do you really think that’s wise?”

“I’ve been observing him recently. I don’t think even Tsukki is immune to a pair of bright eyes blinking up at him and calling him ‘senpai’.”

-

“Would you look at this ragtag bunch of misfit crows?”

Ennoshita’s head popped up from his captain’s checklist as he heard the familiar sing-song tone followed by several of his teammates’ squawks.

“Glad you guys could make it!”

“How could we possibly miss leading on the cheer squad for our beloved kouhai? The first game is at eleven, right? Not long now. Look alive, captain!” A sharp jab hit his side, and Ennoshita doubled over, groaning loudly.

“Remind me why I missed you, Suga?”

“Because I am the most charming setter to ever grace the Karasuno club rooms~”

Deep laughter roared behind the pair as a hand ruffled his hair briefly. “Yeah, you’re as charming as an eel, Mr. Grinch.”

“I take great offense to that reference, Daichi!” Suga pouted before pulling Ennoshita off to the side of the hallway and out of the way of Noya literally tackling Asahi into the collection of curious first years. He lowered his voice to be mostly drowned out by the reunion of the tiny libero and giant ace. “I heard you had a bit of a rough start this year. How are you doing?”

“No worries. Ryuu and the rest of the team knocked a bit of sense into me. Made me realize that I didn’t have to do everything on my own.”

“Good to know someone took up the mantle of removing negativity after I left.”

“Yeah, and luckily, their methods are generally less painful. Hinata and Nishinoya are great at leading warm ups because their energy is contagious. Yamaguchi has become an expert at translating Kageyama’s advice on serving into understandable language. And Tsukishima and I have this whole ‘good cop - bad cop’ situation going on with running the first year study group.”

“Should I talk to tsukishima about gentle communication again?”

“Why do you assume he’s the ‘bad cop’? He is so weak to the younger students’ pouting. It’s rather adorable. The failures get no mercy from their captain though.”

“I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks Suga.” He glowed at the praise before a thought struck him, “Wait, how did you know about what happened?”

“I have my sources. Speaking of…” Suga winked and ducked back into the fray. He leaned against the wall beside Kageyama, punching his arm, “Hey little birdie, how is that synchronized attack going with the new lineup?”

The second-year setter's response was cut short as Tanaka choked on his gulp of water, and Ennoshita rushed to pound on his back as he spluttered indignantly.

As his vice captain gasped for breath and the boys rushed around him greeting alumni and preparing for the tournament, Ennoshita felt a gentle warmth grow from his chest out to his fingertips and down to his toes.

This was his team, and together, they were ready to face whatever came next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you have a wonderful day!
> 
> Remember to be kind to one another and to yourself, and don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.
> 
> -Ms. Mars


End file.
